The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of apple tree obtained from a natural crossing of `Tsugaru`. The fruit matures early in the season and earlier than `Tsugaru`. The appearance of the fruit is conspicuous because of a relief of dense and large dots formed on a solid deep red skin. The flesh of the fruit has a good sweet-acid balance, an excellent dessert quality, and a superior keeping quality.
This breeding was aimed at obtaining a new variety of apple tree which can produce an early-maturing fruit having an excellent dessert quality. For this purpose, the seeds, which were obtained from a natural crossing of `Tsugaru` at the Hatakoshi farm residing at 393 Niimura, Matsumoto-shi, Nagano-ken, Japan, were sown in the same farm in 1976. These seedlings were raised naturally without grafting and the like. Among the trees raised from these seedlings and having a first crop in 1984, only one tree, considered to be especially promising, was selected.
The thus-selected apple tree according to this invention was asexually reproduced by top-working onto a seven-year-old `Fuji (Chofu 2)` tree grown on M26 rootstock at the farm residing at 6716-3 Katagiri, Nakagawa-mura, Kamiina-gun, Nagano-ken in the spring of 1985. The fruit obtained from this top-worked tree was compared with the fruit of the most similar varieties `Tsugaru` and `Nebuta`, and as a result, it was concluded that the fruit of this apple tree is clearly distinguishable from those of similar varieties. This new variety of apple tree according to this invention was named `Benihazuki`. Of these similar varieties used for comparison, `Tsugaru` is a female parent, and `Nebuta` is a cultivar producing a solid scarlet-coloured skin fruit which has a high sweetness (about 15 in refractometer index) and relatively strong acidity, and matures earlier than `Tsugaru`, e.g., in early-to-mid August, in an area about 650 meters above sea level in Nagano-ken, Japan.
`Tsugaru`, the female parent of `Benihazuki`, was selected from the seedlings of `Golden Delicious`.times.`unknown` crossed by the Aomori prefectural apple experimental station in 1930, and is known as a main early-maturing cultivar in Japan. The main botanical characteristics of `Tsugaru` are as follows.
Tree: PA0 Leaves: PA0 Flowers: PA0 Fruit: PA0 Resistance to pests and diseases: Strongly resistant to rough bark disorder, and almost no occurrence of Heart rot (Core rot).
Shape.--Apt to be upright while young, then gradually spreading. PA2 Vigor.--Medium. PA2 Bearing shoot.--Few spurs (short), but many long. PA2 Predominance of axially flower bud.--Medium. PA2 Thickness of one-year-old shoot.--Thin. PA2 Length of internode.--Long. PA2 Shape.--Elongated. PA2 Length.--Short. PA2 Length of petiole.--Short. PA2 Size.--Small. PA2 Color.--Pale pink at full bloom, and deep pink at the unopened stage. PA2 Flowering time.--Blooming in the middle of the season, the same as `Golden Delicious`, and, for example, in late-April, in an area about 650 meters above sea level in Nagano-ken, Japan. PA2 Physiological fruit drop.--Above average pre-harvest droppings. PA2 Size.--Medium, average weight 250-300 g. PA2 Shape.--Oval. PA2 Basin.--Medium width and depth. PA2 Cavity.--Medium width and depth. PA2 Color of skin.--Yellowish green ground color and a pale red colouring with red stripes. Colouring clear when using a bag, but dull toned if not bagged. PA2 Skin.--Thin, smooth, little shininess, and abundant russet. Dots are small and few, thus inconspicuous. PA2 Colour of flesh.--Yellow. PA2 Flesh.--Fine, juicy, relatively hard (14.8 lbs.), almost no water core, and little browning. PA2 Taste.--Moderate sweetness (12.4 in refractometer index), weak acidity (0.32% maleic acid content), and an excellent dessert quality. Aromatic flavor is weak. PA2 Maturity.--Maturing early in the season, for example, in early-September, in an area about 650 meters above sea level in Nagano-ken, Japan. PA2 Keeping quality.--Can be kept for two to three weeks on the shelf and for a relatively long time in cold storage. The quality is good for an early-maturing cultivar.